VW Microbus Finally Retiring Next Year

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Can you believe that Volkswagen is still making the original Microbus? It's true, but won't be for much longer.

For most cars, when they've reached the end of their production cycles, they're discontinued, and that's the end of them. Volkswagen has a different way of doing things, though. When the German automaker replaces a model, the old one is often sent off to other markets to live the remainder of its days. Never mind the Seat Exeo that's essentially an old Audi A4. Some seriously old VWs have been given stays of execution in far-flung markets, like the original Microbus that's still made in Brazil as the Kombi.

Like the first-generation Golf that was still made in South Africa until three years ago, and the second-generation Jetta that is still sold in China, and the original Microbus lives on, but not much longer. As iconic to the brand as the Beetle, the original VW Microbus started production in Germany in 1950. Assembly began in Brazil in 1957, with the second-generation model introduced in 1967. While assembly was discontinued in Germany way back in 1979, it is still being built in Brazil. But according to a report from Car and Driver, the Kombi van will cease production by the end of 2013. "At some point," VW fears, "you [become known as] the brand with the old cars."